Tommy Tucker was the most famous squirrel ever to come from Washington

April 9, 2012 10:08 AM

Perhaps in some forgotten corner of a museum there sits — nay, there stands — Tommy Tucker, a little dusty, a little moth-eaten, but still the best-dressed squirrel in the world
posted by boygeorge (8 comments total)

Man, that's some repayment for hard service to his country. If squirrels can be said to have a country.
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:22 AM on April 9, 2012

Tommy knew that his survival as a cross-dressing squirrel depended upon securely hiding his nuts.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:34 AM on April 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

That brought a smile to my face; I hope he turns up. He should be in the Smithsonian; he was featured in Life Magazine, after all.
posted by TedW at 11:16 AM on April 9, 2012

In fact, here he is in Life
posted by TedW at 11:19 AM on April 9, 2012

In January 1944, Tommy was featured in a spread in Life magazine. (The editors had a sense of humor: The opening page was across from an ad for shotgun shells.)

And here's that shotgun ammo ad. Click to the next page for the squirrel article which has a bunch of cute pictures.

One of our cats is named Gilmore after this guy, whose remains are in the possession of the Smithsonian. Gilmore the Elder is sadly not on display - probably too moth-eaten.
posted by exogenous at 12:08 PM on April 9, 2012

The best-dressed squirrel in the world? I think Sugar Bush Squirrel might take issue with that claim.
posted by essexjan at 12:16 PM on April 9, 2012

Sugar Bush Squirrel is fine and all, but Tommy Tucker wins by virtue of sheer fabulosity for being a successful, in-your-face drag queen in 1944.
posted by darksasami at 12:47 PM on April 9, 2012 [1 favorite]

The other Tommy Tucker.
posted by y2karl at 9:50 AM on April 10, 2012